Ain't No Party Like A Kristen Partaaaayyyy!!!!!

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Okay, so I feel like I’ve been kind of Debbie Downer on myself lately so today’s post will have a slightly different tone! Woo hoo, finally!

Today, I’m going to list all of the many (eh?) reasons why I, Kristen Riggan, am so totally awesome.  Not only will it let you all know that I’m not this fat, lazy slob with a short temper that I have made myself out to be but it will also remind ME that I am in fact wonderful!

So here goes…brace yourselves.

1.) I can cook like nobody’s business.  Can you tell I’m on a diet since the first thing that came to my mind was something to do with food?? Anyways, you better believe my family’s bellies are full every night!  Pork roast, mashed potatoes, chicken…you name it, I can cook it like a boss! In fact, one of my specialties is lemon meringue pie….whooo weee, delicious!!  I spend hours scouring pinterest and food.com for new recipes that I probably won’t follow anyways.  At any special occasion or work luncheon, I am ALWAYS asked to bring in one of my dishes…yes, I am that good! I even have a album on facebook called “Cooking Adventures.”  Yes, I’m one of those people.

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2.) I am very loyal to my friends.  I actually only have a very close circle of friends.  My best friend and I have been besties since 7^th grade.  We have gotten into silly fights out the ying yang, as most immature girls growing up together generally do.  Even those few times where we weren’t speaking to each other, if anyone else tried to say something mean about her, man I would get so fired up and give that person an earful!  We’re the kind of friends that don’t have to talk every single day to know we still have that special kind of sister love.  Plus, we both LOVE mashed potatoes and popcorn…obvious fit for best friends, right?

I’m pretty sure I sound pretty silly and middle school talking about my best friend and how awesome she is and yadda yadda…I don’t care!! She has been part of my life for so many years and has helped shape who I am today, you all should thank her! I love you Dana!

P.S. I’d also like to say that I’m awesome because my friends love me!

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Okay…..

So, it took me like 15 minutes to come up with those first two reasons.

  This is proving to be more difficult than I thought!

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3.) I’m very manipulative—hey that’s a good thing! Perhaps manipulative is the wrong word to use.  Maybe I should use convincing and persuasive; yea, those are good ones!  Here’s the thing, if I disagree with your decision to do something I will “convince and persuade” you to think like me!  For example, we were taking the kids out to eat one night and Brian wanted to go to Denny’s.  Well, there’s nothing wrong with Denny’s, I just didn’t have a taste for it.  So, I made my move.  “Hey don’t you remember last time we went we got that really crappy waiter who got in trouble for letting us sit there so long? I sure hope we don’t get him again.” Or this one, “Well, I hope they don’t take as long to get our food out as last time; that took forever!”  Slowly but surely, he comes over to my way of thinking and Cracker Barrel it is!  I am this way ALL the time, it no doubt gets on Brian’s nerves but he’s man enough to let me get my way! 

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4.) I have an uncanny ability to justify ANY bad decision I make.  No seriously, it’s actually quite comical.  So, I’m on a diet right now and I’m going pretty strong.  I’ll take you back to my low point about 2 weeks ago.  I was sitting at my desk at work and around 3 I got a very strong desire for something sweet.  Much to my pleasure, my job offers us an unlimited supply of ice cream.  We have one of those coolers full of ice cream sandwiches, mule bars, cones, everything placed back in the corner of some random room.  So, the 3 o’clock snack attack hit me and I went and got a GIANT ice cream sandwich.  Absolutely wonderful!  Well, about 20 minutes later, I had another attack and went and got a chocolate covered cone.  As I was devouring it, the guilt started to roll in.  Really Kristen, two ice creams, back to back? Shame on you, I told myself.  But, but, I walked around the block at break time, and I didn’t have any breakfast.  So, that should cancel itself out.  There see, I did it! I justified my bad decision and went back and got a third ice cream treat.  I know…I’m so bad!

Needless to say, my diet started a couple days later and I haven’t had to justify anything since!!

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5.)  I’m a world class juggler.  No, not like in the circus but metaphorically speaking that is true.  Let me elaborate.  I am a mom of some wonderful kids who, it seems, are always on the go. Between soccer, baseball, homework, fundraisers, and PTA meetings, I am always doing something for these kids; non-stop. 

I work full time at a job that gives me brain farts at least once a week.  The constant typing and crunching of numbers is actually pretty exhausting.  I never knew that sitting on my butt would make me so tired but oh how it does! 

I cook dinner every night; meat, pasta/potatoes/rice, veggie, bread, the whole nine yards. 

Now, I have added writing this wonderful little blog to the mix.  I read and re-read, going over my piece time after time after time.  I’ve also been writing what I hope to be a really good book.  It should be wonderful, someday.

What makes me different from any of you?  Probably nothing but I still think it helps make me awesome!  We are all jugglers in our everyday life, so go ahead and pat yourself on the back!

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Mom, ladies, friends….right now, I want you to take the time and push all of the negative aside.  Get out some paper or pull up Microsoft Word and make a list of all the good things about you.  You’ll be surprised how many things you realize make you an awesome person.  With all of the hustle and bustle we put ourselves through everyday; we can’t let ourselves forget the things that make us special.  I’ll be honest with you, I’ve done that to myself for far too long; but not anymore!! From this day on, I will tell myself at least 1 positive thing per day.  Whether I look in the mirror and say, “Kristen, your eye make-up looks perfect today,” or “You did a bang up job on that steak,” I will tell myself! Because really, isn’t it all the little things that really count?  They add up to the big picture, and if we don’t see ourselves positively then eventually no one will.

Sometimes, life in general can beat us down so we should be the ones to pick ourselves back up and dust yourself off.  So go ahead, compliment yourself! I dare you!!

While you’re at it, let me know how you see yourself.  Post below one compliment for YOURSELF and let’s get this compliment ball rolling!!

                                               

Thanks for reading!!

Kristen B. Riggan

www.facebook.com/Kristen.Riggan 

I'm A Mom, I got This!-Thursdays With Kristen